The function of the lower urinary tract is to store and periodically release urine. This requires the orchestration of storage and micturition reflexes which involve a variety of afferent and efferent neural pathways, leading to modulation of central and peripheral neuroeffector mechanisms, and resultant coordinated regulation of sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the autonomic nervous system as well as somatic motor pathways. These proximally regulate the contractile state of bladder (detrusor) and urethral smooth muscle, and urethral sphincter striated muscle.
β Adrenergic receptors (βAR) are present in detrusor smooth muscle of various species, including human, rat, guinea pig, rabbit, ferret, dog, cat, pig and non-human primate. However, pharmacological studies indicate there are marked species differences in the receptor subtypes mediating relaxation of the isolated detrusor; β1AR predominate in cats and guinea pig, β2AR predominate in rabbit, and β3AR contribute or predominate in dog, rat, ferret, pig, cynomolgus and human detrusor. Expression of βAR subtypes in the human and rat detrusor has been examined by a variety of techniques, and the presence of β3AR was confirmed using in situ hybridization and/or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Real time quantitative PCR analyses of β1AR, β2AR and β3AR mRNAs in bladder tissue from patients undergoing radical cystectomy revealed a preponderance of β3AR mRNA (97%, cf 1.5% for β1AR mRNA and 1.4% for β2AR mRNA). Moreover, β3AR mRNA expression was equivalent in control and obstructed human bladders. These data suggest that bladder outlet obstruction does not result in downregulation of β3AR, or in alteration of βAR-mediated detrusor relaxation. β3AR responsiveness also has been compared in bladder strips obtained during cystectomy or enterocystoplasty from patients judged to have normal bladder function, and from patients with detrusor hyporeflexia or hyperreflexia. No differences in the extent or potency of β3AR agonist mediated relaxation were observed, consistent with the concept that the β3AR activation is an effective way of relaxing the detrusor in normal and pathogenic states.
Functional evidence in support of an important role for the β3AR in urine storage emanates from studies in vivo. Following intravenous administration to rats, the rodent selective β3AR agonist CL316243 reduces bladder pressure and in cystomeric studies increases bladder capacity leading to prolongation of micturition interval without increasing residual urine volume.
Overactive bladder is characterized by the symptoms of urinary urgency, with or without urgency urinary incontinence, usually associated with frequency and nocturia. The prevalence of OAB in the United States and Europe has been estimated at 16 to 17% in both women and men over the age of 18 years. Overactive bladder is most often classified as idiopathic, but can also be secondary to neurological condition, bladder outlet obstruction, and other causes. From a pathophysiologic perspective, the overactive bladder symptom complex, especially when associated with urge incontinence, is suggestive of detrusor overactivity. Urgency with or without incontinence has been shown to negatively impact both social and medical well-being, and represents a significant burden in terms of annual direct and indirect healthcare expenditures. Importantly, current medical therapy for urgency (with or without incontinence) is suboptimal, as many patients either do not demonstrate an adequate response to current treatments, and/or are unable to tolerate current treatments (for example, dry mouth associated with anticholinergic therapy). Therefore, there is need for new, well-tolerated therapies that effectively treat urinary frequency, urgency and incontinence, either as monotherapy or in combination with available therapies. Agents that relax bladder smooth muscle, such as β3AR agonists, are expected to be effective for treating such urinary disorders.